In general, a large-capacity packing box for transportation is used as a means for safely and conveniently transporting a large quantity of goods exchanged in a series of product distribution processes between a manufacturer, a merchant and a consumer and in an export/import process.
Depending on the features (the fragileness, the size, etc.) of goods accommodated therein, different kinds of packing boxes for transportation such as a paper box made of a corrugated board, a wood box made of wood, a plastic box made of plastic and a container box made of a steel plate are manufactured and selectively used. The packing boxes for transportation differ only in material from each other. The overall structures of the packing boxes have a simple rectangular box shape with an accommodation space formed therein.
In the meantime, when the packing boxes are recovered after moving the packing boxes which contain goods or when the packing boxes are stored in an empty state, the volume of the packing boxes remains unchanged even though the packing boxes are empty. Thus, a large space and an increased cost are required for storing and transporting the empty packing boxes.
In order to solve this problem, there has been developed and used an assembly box for transportation capable of maintaining a rectangular box shape as in the related art when moving the assembly box which contains goods and capable of minimizing the volume when recovering the assembly box or when storing the assembly box in an empty state. That is to say, the assembly box for transportation may be unfolded in a rectangular box shape when transporting goods and may be folded to have a minimized volume when recovering the assembly box.
In this connection, a “foldable container palette system” (Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0417505 may be referred to.
As illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 24, the foldable container palette system of the related art includes a box 10, a palette 20 and a lid 30. The box 10 may be folded to reduce the volume thereof during transportation and storage.
The box 10 includes several plastic panels 11 and 12, four corner folding members 13 and two central folding members 14 configured to interconnect the plastic panels 11 and 12 so that the plastic panels 11 and 12 can be folded in their connection portions and overlapped with each other. The plastic panels 11 and 12 are made of a resin so that the plastic panels 11 and 12 have a light weight and a superior workability.
Each of the corner folding members 13 is disposed in each corner and is configured to interconnect the edges of the plastic panels 11 and 12 adjoining each other. Each of the corner folding members 13 includes a pair of bracket portions 131 formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to each corner and a folding portion 133 configured to foldably interconnect the respective bracket portions 131. The bracket portions 131 and the folding portion 133 are formed into one piece.
In each of the bracket portions 131, there are formed insertion fixation channels 132 having a U-like cross-sectional shape and vertically extending so that the edges of the respective plastic panels 11 and 12 adjoining each other are inserted into and fixed to the insertion fixation channels 132. The bracket portions 131 make an angle of 90 degrees with each other when the box 10 is unfolded. In the bracket portions 131, stoppers 131a capable of making contact with each other are formed at the opposite side of the insertion fixation channels 132.
The folding portion 133 is made of a soft moldable resin so that the folding portion 133 can be easily deformed in order to foldably interconnect the bracket portions 131.
As illustrated in FIG. 25, each of the central folding members 14 includes a pair of bracket portions 141 and a folding portion 143 configured to foldably interconnect the respective bracket portions 141. The bracket portions 141 and the folding portion 143 are formed into one piece. In each of the bracket portions 141, there are formed insertion fixation channels 142 having a U-like cross-sectional shape and vertically extending so that the edges of the respective plastic panels 12 adjoining each other are inserted into and fixed to the insertion fixation channels 142. The bracket portions 141 make an angle of 180 degrees with each other when the box 10 is unfolded. For this purpose, stoppers 141a configured to make contact with each other at an angle of 180 degrees when the box 10 is unfolded are formed in the bracket portions 141. As with the folding portion 133, the folding portion 143 is made of a soft moldable resin.
In the case of the related art, the structurally weak folding members constitute the framework of the box and support the sidewall. Thus, the assembly box may be distorted by an external impact and may have a difficulty in performing a tracking management of the assembly box and a first-in and first-out management of the assembly box according to an incoming date. In particular, since the corner folding members are made of a soft material so that the corner folding members are folded with ease, damage such as rupture or the like may be frequently generated in the corner portions of the box.